Case Study – Insurance Fraud
Insurance Fraud Case Study
There are many aspects of covert operations that can be used for significant benefit for everyday business – Fraudulent compensation scams are rife, here is just one brief account of our success in this field.
Background - In 199X Miss Y was travelling in a vehicle, which was involved in a road traffic accident. Although not seriously injured, Miss Y alleged that she had been so badly affected by the crash that she now suffered from severe agoraphobia; she further claimed that she was unable to walk unaided for distances in excess of 25-30 metres, or stand for more than 5 minutes.
The insurance company accepted partial liability and made an initial offer of £250,000. Miss Y refused this offer, and reaffirmed her intention to sue for a figure in excess of ½ million pounds. At about this time the insurance company received information to suggest that Miss Y’s injuries were not as serious as first thought and that the claim was perhaps fraudulent.
We were instructed to investigate the matter.
Task – To mount and maintain surveillance on Miss Y for two days (8 hours a day) in order to ascertain her level of incapacity.
Execution – At 0700 hours in January 200X a three-man team of Nemesis operators (fully equipped with covert radios and video equipment and controlled by a designated leader) commenced surveillance of Miss Y’s house (C1). One operator observed C1 from a covert photography van whilst the remainder of the team placed themselves strategically around the local area ready to follow the target.
At 1015 hours on the first day the operator observing from the photo van observed Miss Y leaving her house and gave the standby signal whilst videoing her actions. This was followed shortly afterwards by a report confirming that Miss Y was leaving home without a stick. The team moved into their Standby Positions and followed Miss Y. Miss Y then walked 1 mile to the centre of the nearest town and proceeded to spend the next two hours shopping in a crowded indoor shopping centre.
Miss Y then returned home, heavily laden with shopping (looking none the worse for her rather long excursion into town!). Miss Y was covertly videoed throughout the period of surveillance.
Result - The video evidence entirely disproved Miss Y’s claim, thereby enabling the insurance company to renegotiate the claim and save themselves a sizeable sum of money.
